The New Team
by Peter Smith
Summary: What begins as an ordinary day for Peter, Scott, Teresa, Sarah and Aaron soon becomes something else, as they are chosen to fight on behalf of the fallen Power Rangers for the fate of the world.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's notes_ – Hi, and welcome to my series. I don't own any of the established characters or story elements, so please don't sue me because I don't have any money anyway. Original characters and content are, however, copyright to me. When I first wrote this series, I was 11, and the stories really reflected that. This is my second version of my fanfic series, and while the narrator is still me, I've tried to write away from the 'Mary Sue' cliché. Anyway, have a read, and tell me what you think. I'm a struggling writer and crave feedback like oxygen (grin). And just for the record, we're not in Angel Grove anymore Toto (grin). Now, on with the show!  
  
**Prologue**  
  
The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers had just fought their hardest battle yet. And they'd lost. It was a devastating blow, the Power Rangers never believing for a second they could be beaten so thoroughly. But with their defeat came the single, overwhelming realisation that without them, the planet was now defenseless.  
  
In recent days, the team had fought what they'd assumed was just another in a very long line of their arch-enemy's monsters - a savage beast named Monitar, a six-foot-tall blue and gold lizard with long fangs and wickedly sharp claws. But this monster was a truly fiendish creation - while keeping the Rangers occupied, Monitar had somehow broken their connection to the source of their power, the Morphin' Grid, robbing the heroes of their powers and leaving them totally helpless. It would be days, perhaps weeks, before their link to the Grid was restored, and by then it would be far too late.  
  
On the eastern coast of Australia lies the city of Caloundra, the home of the legendary Power Rangers. Far inland, in the great open plains and deserts of western Queensland, lies their base, an enormous stone building called the Command Centre. The Rangers had spent the better part of the day in the room they knew as the Central Chamber trying to figure out some way to recover from their defeat, knowing that they had to come up with something fast. Evil may have been ancient, but it moved quickly when the opportunity arose.  
  
"Look, I know we're in trouble," said Jason Scott, the Red Ranger and leader of the team, "but there just has to be something we can do."  
  
The Ranger dressed in blue, Billy Cranston, looked up from a control panel and addressed Jason for the third time. "Negative Jason. You know our current options are extremely limited."  
  
"Yeah," said Zachary Taylor, the Black Ranger. "In case you hadn't noticed man, those options are zero, zip, nil and nada."  
  
"I don't believe it," said Jason. "I can't believe it."  
  
Trini Kwan, the Yellow Ranger, stopped pacing over behind one of the control panels and turned to the other Rangers. "No you guys, Jason's right. We've been through worse and come back fighting."  
  
"Well yeah," agreed Kimberly Hart, the Ranger dressed all in pink. "Like the time that Goldar ransomed our parents for our power coins, or the time that he," and she motioned to Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, "broke in and destroyed the Command Centre."  
  
Tommy looked up sharply. "Hey, that was a curse. We agreed not to bring that up again." The Green Ranger sighed, before looking up to the disembodied head watching them all from inside a blue plasma tube. "Zordon, why can't you use your own energy to supplement ours like last time?"  
  
Zordon shook his head. "I fear it would not work," he replied. "To restore your powers even briefly, I would need to divide my energy among all six of you. The recharge would be temporary, and would not provide any of you with enough power to defeat Monitar. And if those powers were to fail during battle, the result could be disastrous."  
  
Jason let his gaze fall, and he slumped forward over the control panel. "I just don't know what to do," he said quietly.  
  
"Hey," said Trini, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, or you will burn out."  
  
"Yeah," agreed Kim. "Trini's right - we've totally come through worse. We can do this. The good guys never lose."  
  
"We'll probably set a precedent," said Tommy, with a grim smile.  
  
"No," said Zordon. "I think there is only one course of action available. It's not something I would've liked, but we have no other choice. Alpha," and here, the sentient gold and red robot standing beside Billy looked up. "Get the box."  
  
"Ayeyiyi," said Alpha, in his high-pitched voice. "I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this." But he obediently turned and walked past the teens out into the hallway, disappearing from sight as the doors slid shut behind him.  
  
"Box?" asked Jason. "Zordon, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Forgive me, Rangers," said Zordon. "This is certainly not the way I'd intended you to find out, but I'm afraid I have kept something from you, something of tremendous importance." The sage paused, and glanced around the group. "While the six of you are Earth's first team of Power Rangers, the Mighty Morphin' team was never designed to be its _only_ team of Rangers."  
  
On cue, Alpha walked back into the room. Turning to him, the Rangers immediately noticed he was carrying a small box sealed with a golden lock. The box was decorated with precious jewels and covered in the golden writing of a strange, mystical language. Drawn by the box's beauty, the Rangers gathered around Alpha.  
  
Suddenly, a beam of energy crackled down from Zordon's energy tube and struck the golden lock. As the teens watched, the lock melted into nothingness, and Alpha gently opened the lid. Inside the box, lying on red felt, were possibly the last things any of them expected to see. Six golden coins.  
  
"Power Coins?" murmured Jason. But there was no denying it. The coins were just like the originals he and his five friends already owned - about an inch in diameter, they all glowed with energy, and each was engraved with a different animal image. They were coins that linked universes, coins that could change the fate of the world.  
  
"Zordon," began Zac, unable to take his eyes away from the box. "Are these what I think they are?"  
  
Zordon nodded. "Alpha," he said, looking from the teens to the six Power Coins, "I believe it is time for us to select the Junior Team of Power Rangers."  
  
**Chapter One  
**  
It was the kind of morning when you couldn't decide whether to put your car's windscreen wipers on full, or just keep them at intermittent. It had been raining on and off all week, which was pretty typical Autumn weather, but the rain was easing off and would probably be gone by midday. That was a shame - I love this type of weather. There's nothing better than lying in bed first thing in the morning, half asleep and listening to the rain gently fall on the roof outside. It's a comfortable sound, reminding you of home and family and warm toast for breakfast.  
  
Hi. My name is Peter Jason Smith, boringly enough, but Peter'll do just fine. I'm a pretty average eleven-year-old boy, and I live with my two parents in Currimundi, a northern suburb of the city of Caloundra on Australia's Sunshine Coast. Although given the weather this morning, I'll admit that's not an entirely accurate description.  
  
Anyway, as I opened my eyes, I looked over to the clock hanging on the wall across from my bed. Darn - it was almost eight o'clock, and I had to be at school in about twenty minutes. Still half asleep, I climbed out of bed and wandered out into the kitchen, where my parents were sitting having breakfast and talking about something on TV.  
  
"Morning," I nodded, sitting down to pour myself some cereal.  
  
"Oh, good morning," my mother replied. "Did you see the news?"  
  
I shook my head. "I was asleep."  
  
She smiled. "Oh, right. I forgot. Anyway, they just said that the Power Rangers were in another battle last night and they lost."  
  
I looked up sharply. "They did? Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. They were fighting some lizardy thing, and the reporters said that their powers gave out and they had to flee the scene."  
  
I sat back. "I don't believe it," I said. "The Power Rangers don't lose. They can't."  
  
It was true, they never did.  
  
The Power Rangers first appeared in Caloundra about three and a half months ago at the start of the year, fighting off an army of super-powered villains and using their zords - a fleet of enormous battle machines - to save the city from a fifteen-storey rampaging alien warrior. It was awesome, real-life superheroes here in Caloundra. And from that point on, the forces of evil hadn't stood a chance, falling time and time again when faced by the legendary heroes. Sure it was scary, living in a city where battles deciding the fate of the Earth were a regular, if not daily occurrence. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't also kind of cool.  
  
Besides, like I said - the Power Rangers don't lose.  
  
My parents continued talking while I quickly finished my breakfast. But as I left the table to get ready for school, Dad turned to me and said, "Be careful today. If the Power Rangers did lose, then make sure you're the first person into those new underground shelters if anything happens."  
  
I nodded. "Count on it," I replied. "But c'mon, they're the Power Rangers - we'll be fine."  
  
Once in my room, I pulled my green and brown ill-fitting school uniform out of the cupboard and began putting it on. At five feet in height, I'm pretty tall for my age, and being thin and lanky doesn't help in the slightest. My wavy brown hair usually resists any attack from a comb, and my eyes are a very dark green with a steadily-fading hint of brown. The oddest thing about me, though, is my feet. I was born with a club foot, so my right foot is about two inches shorter than my left foot, and my right leg is a fraction shorter and thinner than my left.  
  
In a few minutes I was ready to go, and when Mum and I left the house we were only about five minutes late, which was actually something of a record. We drove up over the hill, and down past the nearby Youth Centre towards Currimundi State School. On either end of the school grounds was a large grassy oval, one for the younger students with playground equipment and one with a running track for the older grades. In between were the school buildings - about twelve of them, all linked by concrete walkways and small fenced-off gardens. The road passed one side of the school and on the other side was an environmental area, which I think is a fancy name for a swamp. Beyond that was the beach and the endless blue of the great Pacific.  
  
But school was more than that, more than just buildings and English lessons. Putting it simply, school meant pain. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first five years, but now in grade six, I'm trapped in a class of neanderthals, brainless thugs who hurt people because they can. I hated it with a passion I hadn't thought possible. But there was nothing I could do about it - and I know I wasn't alone - so I just had to get by as best as I could.  
  
Such is life, I guess.

* * *

The day passed pretty slowly. My teacher is a big Italian dude called Mr Di Certo. He's a nice guy, tough at times, but with a class of thirty I can understand. Despite the fact that I was pretty much on my own, class isn't that big a deal. Or, more accurately, the twenty-minute morning recess and hour break for lunch were about a thousand times worse. And today, as the bell rang signifying lunch time and everybody filed outside, I was already making plans, all of them involving getting the heck out of the area.  
  
"Hey," came a voice, and I turned to see my friend Scott Tiaron walking towards me. Scott's a great guy, and the two of us have known each other practically our whole entire lives. He was as close to me as a best friend could get, and I trusted him completely. "What are you doing for the next hour?"  
  
I shrugged. "I don't know," I replied, heading for my backpack. "I was thinking about hanging around the big covered area today, or maybe the library."  
  
"Want to come and jump in puddles with Aaron and me?"  
  
I turned to him, certain I'd missed a vital part of that sentence. "Uh, what?"  
  
Scott grinned. "Aaron's science project involves aquatic plants, or something like that. Anyway, now that the rain's stopped, he said he wanted to have a look down on the oval."  
  
I looked around - it had stopped raining, and anyway, Joel, Joshua and Damien were coming out of the classroom. The sight of these three always scared me just a little.  
  
"Sure," I replied, grabbing a sandwich out of my lunchbox and beating a hasty retreat. Cowards we may be, but at least cowards actualise their potential lifespans.

* * *

"Oh, hey, check it out, there are tad-poles in this one!"  
  
I turned to Aaron. "You get the feeling Scott's enjoying this way too much?"  
  
Aaron Gee grinned and laughed. I'd known Aaron for about three years, but he was just as great a friend as Scott. He was a big bloke, and almost as tall as me. With blue eyes and dark hair, he was always cheerful and easy- going, but for as long as I could remember, nobody had ever tried to pick a fight with Aaron. One thing I admired about him was his sheer determination, and his ability to generally flatten anything unlucky enough to be standing in his way.  
  
He turned away from Scott and glanced down into the puddle of water at our feet, quickly taking notes in his book. I honestly didn't know what he was looking for, but anything had to better than making myself a target by hanging around the classroom.  
  
"So, no karate tonight?" he asked, still scribbling notes.  
  
I looked up. "Yeah, I ran into Jason on my way home last night, and heard the same thing," I replied. "He's never missed a lesson all year. It's strange."  
  
"Reckon it's got anything to do with the Power Rangers?" he said.  
  
I shrugged. "Could be. Who knows?"  
  
Aaron turned back to me as Scott returned, bouncing energetically over the grass and puddles of water. "Do you want to see the tad-poles or not?" he asked.  
  
"Yes sir," laughed Aaron, and we began to follow Scott across the otherwise- deserted oval to the fence on the far side.  
  
I glanced back over my shoulder. "Hang on, we've got company."  
  
"Hey guys!" came a voice, and Scott and Aaron looked back to see two girls walking down the grassy slope and onto the oval towards us.  
  
"Where are you guys heading?" asked Teresa Tiaron, as she and Sarah Weir reached us.  
  
Scott grinned. "Hey sis," he said. "We're just jumping in puddles."  
  
Teresa smiled, her grin matching that of her brother. Teresa and Scott obviously weren't identical twins, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were. Like Scott, Teresa had green eyes and curly dark hair, much longer than Scott's and normally tied in a ponytail. And like Scott, I'd known Teresa since before I could remember - Mr and Mrs Tiaron were close friends with both my parents. Both Scott and Teresa had a way of looking at something - anything - and breaking it down for everyone else. But while Scott saw the world through the eyes of a tireless explorer, Teresa was the one who usually kept all our feet on the ground.  
  
Teresa walked over to her brother, while Sarah came over to me and Aaron. "Sounds like fun," Sarah said. "Care for some company?" With blonde hair and blue eyes, Sarah was almost as tall as me and very pretty. She was my cousin, actually - a month younger than me, and not only the kindest person I've ever met, but also one of the strongest and toughest people I know.  
  
"Well," Aaron said, "you can if you want, but we're just about done."  
  
"We are?" I asked. "Ah, nuts. Could we maybe...?"  
  
Without warning, a sudden explosion across the road shook the oval, sending a red and yellow fireball roaring skyward and showering the area with pieces of flaming debris. The shockwave echoed back up towards the school, and we all instinctively raised our arms and ducked back.  
  
"What on Earth...?" began Teresa, but she was cut off as a second explosion rocked the area, a lot closer to us than the first one. A fireball engulfed one of the nearby wooden gazebos and blasted it apart with tremendous force, nothing left of the structure but charred splinters. The noise was deafening, the heat from the flames washing over us, and we all jumped back in shock.  
  
But this time, as we looked to see what had caused the explosion, a figure stepped out of the cloud of smoke and slowly turned towards the school. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been human - six feet tall and covered in blue and gold scales, the creature stalked towards us on two powerful hind legs, with a long thin tail swaying behind it. It looked like a bizarre cross between a crocodile, a goanna and a Tyrannosaurus Rex - all teeth, appetite and bad attitude.  
  
"That's the monster the Power Rangers fought yesterday," said Teresa, turning back to us. "I saw it on the news." All of a sudden, noticing the five of us for the first time, the creature's lips grew wide into a horrible grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, and it took a slow step towards us.  
  
"Everybody stay back," I said. "The Power Rangers will be here."  
  
"But they lost to this thing, didn't they?" asked Sarah. The monster must have heard her - he raised an arm and sent another explosive charge spiralling into the ground only metres away from us, mud and grass erupting skywards in a ball of fire.  
  
"Oh hell," I muttered. The beast was already halfway across the oval, and raising its arms to fire again.  
  
"What should we do?" asked Scott.  
  
Sarah glanced to him. "Running would probably be a good start."  
  
And it was that exact second when the entire Universe flipped upside-down.  
  
One moment, I was standing on the oval, Teresa and Scott on one side and Sarah and Aaron on the other. The next moment, it was all gone. I will forever remember seeing the ground disappear as I was suddenly lifted to a dizzying height above the oval. And then, pulled by some unseen force, I was whisked through the air, over Battery Hill and Aroona and out west of the city. Caloundra disappeared beneath me, and soon all I could see were sand dunes and rolling foothills.  
  
Without a single clue about what was happening, I looked back and saw I was nothing more than a blur of light, trailing away and tapering off like a comet. I could hear screams all around, although most were probably mine, and knew the others were travelling with me. Far ahead of us but rapidly approaching, an odd, beige-coloured building sat at the peak of a mountain, and we were heading straight for it. Then, my comet was abruptly pulled out of the air - it felt like somebody had reached inside my stomach, and given whatever they'd found a good solid yank - and down through a grate on top of the building. In a flash of light, the wild ride ended, and I was standing in the middle of a large, dark room.  
  
I glanced around - the others were standing behind me and looked otherwise okay, and I would've asked them how they were if I didn't suddenly take in my surroundings. The room was larger than I'd first thought, the ceiling alone about twenty feet above our heads. Around us was a ring of control panels, all of them with buttons, dials, keyboards and monitors. Beyond the control panels was a single round wall that surrounded the entire space, and it was covered in panels and pipes and featured a map of the world. Behind us was a doorway sealed by two sliding panels, but in front of us was a large blue pipe, with two tall electrodes on either side. Amazingly, in the pipe was a head - no, a face. All in all, it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen in my whole entire life.  
  
"Guys... where are we?" stuttered Aaron.  
  
"And who are you?" asked Sarah, directing the question up to the head as if she expected it to respond.  
  
Incredibly, it did. "My name is Zordon, Zordon of Eltar," it said, "and you five were brought here because you were chosen to become the Junior Team of Power Rangers."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two  
  
I desperately tried to understand what we were being told, but keeping a solid grip on rational thought was by this stage bordering on impossible. The head, uh, I mean, Zordon explained the story to us, about the monster who'd attacked us draining the existing Rangers' power. Zordon had a way of speaking and commanding your attention that ensured he kept it. His booming voice echoed around the room, and the words didn't just stop at your ears but seemed to keep travelling right into the back of your mind. As he spoke, we were introduced to Alpha, Zordon's small and constantly 'ayiyiyi- ing' robotic assistant. It was strange, interacting with a robot that was for all intents and purposes human, but it was certainly not the strangest thing we'd all come to terms with.  
  
Finally, Zordon finished explaining the situation, and he looked down to us. There was a long silence, as we all tried to take in everything he'd said. Finally, I summoned enough courage to speak.  
  
"Zordon?" I asked, quietly and nervously. "Please tell us, why us?"  
  
"You five possess the extraordinary skills and abilities that we need," Zordon replied. "Peter, you are a strong and capable leader. Scott and Teresa, you are both compassionate and quick of mind. Sarah, you possess love, kindness, and a strength to always do what's right. And Aaron, you are strong, brave, gentle and dedicated."  
  
There was another moment of silence. "Wow," stuttered Scott. "This is...wow."  
  
I glanced around to the others, my mind somewhere over the horizon. For the rest of my life, I'd think back to this very moment in time and this choice, and wonder. If I'd known the direction my life would take, I'd have probably taken a lot longer to make that decision. I might have even said no. But right now, there didn't seem to be much of a choice. They needed us. They needed me.  
  
"Guys," I began quietly. "We've been asked by a really nice man in a tube to help the Power Rangers, and fight on their behalf to save the world. I don't know about you guys, but..." and I looked up to Zordon. "I couldn't say no if I wanted to. Count me in."  
  
Sarah stepped forward, glancing from me to Zordon. "It sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime," she said. "I'm in."  
  
Teresa and Scott looked at each other, and simultaneously stepped forward. "We'll do it," they said.  
  
Aaron looked around, smiled and stepped forward. "I gotta enlist," he said with a nod. "This is my chance to be someone. I'm your man."  
  
Zordon smiled. "I'm glad you all accepted, as we do not have much time. That certainly went better than last time, at any rate. Alpha, please get the morphers and call the others in. Rangers," he said, and my nerves tingled when he said it, "there are three cardinal rules you must obey if you are to be effective Power Rangers. Firstly, you must never escalate a battle unless you are forced to. Secondly, you must never use your powers for personal gain. And thirdly, you must never reveal your secret identities to anyone. Do you accept these rules?"  
  
We all nodded, silently accepting our responsibility. Behind us, the two sliding doors opened with a soft 'swoosh', and Alpha walked back into the room followed by six teenagers. They all looked to be about four years older than us, most likely in the tenth grade. There were two girls and four guys, and although they were dressed in civilian clothes, each wore a different colour.  
  
"Junior Team, meet your Senior Team of Power Rangers. Your team members are Tommy Oliver..." and the guy dressed all in green looked at us and smiled. "Hey," he said. He was tall, with long wavy brown hair, cool brown eyes and an undeniable smug arrogance about him. He looked like a genuinely nice guy, but somebody who didn't smile much, or at least didn't find much to smile about.  
  
"Zachary Taylor..." Zordon continued. The guy dressed all in black grinned and gave us a thumbs-up. He was about medium height, with closely-cropped black hair, dancing brown eyes and a smile that looked like it was never far away. There was a frantic and very teenage energy about him, like a party waiting for somewhere to happen.  
  
"Kimberly Hart..." The girl in pink grinned. "Hey!" she said with a wave. She was shorter than the others and very pretty, with shoulder-length brown hair and a sense of style that could spot both bargains and high fashion from twenty paces. Kimberly was perky, petite and athletic - I just knew she had to have been a cheerleader.  
  
"Billy Cranston..." The boy dressed all in navy blue looked up and offered us a shy smile. He was tall, with short blond hair and pale blue-green eyes protected by a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. Billy had an almost tangible air of phenomenal yet understated intelligence around him. I got the feeling Billy not only knew all the answers, but generally had them figured out before he'd even reached the end of the question.  
  
"Trini Kwan..." The girl dressed all in yellow smiled and said, "Hello." She was tall, poised and strikingly beautiful, with long silken black hair and a serious face. Her brown eyes were warm and friendly, but I could tell there was a fierce strength behind them, like a tiger before striking.  
  
"And finally, Jason Scott."  
  
At that, the five of us automatically turned to the final teen to be introduced, the Red Ranger and leader of the Power Rangers.  
  
It took me a moment to find my voice. "Jason?" I asked. "Jason, our karate teacher Jason?"  
  
Jason smiled. "It's a small world," he said. Tall, good-looking and athletic, Jason had short dark hair and kind brown eyes that nonetheless had an intensity about them. If I had to describe Jason in only one word, that word would've been 'powerful'. He just seemed to be naturally taller and stronger than anybody else in a room. When you were around Jason, you didn't just believe in him, you believed in yourself. He was an awesome teacher, too. The only reason any of us had done so well in our karate lessons is that Jason was there helping us. In fact the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't believe I hadn't realised he was a Power Ranger earlier.  
  
"I have the morphers right here Zordon," said Alpha.  
  
Zordon nodded. "Excellent." Then, turning to the five of us, he looked down to me. "Peter, we grant you today the Stegosaurus Power Coin, and from now on, you will be known as the Orange Ranger, leader of the Junior Team of Power Rangers." A small hologram of a sword appeared in mid-air before me. "This is your weapon, the Power Sword. It is a mighty and ancient weapon and will serve you well." With that, Alpha gave me my morpher. It was a circular device with my Power Coin in the centre and two small handles on the back - inscribed on the golden coin was a tiny picture of a Stegosaurus. Whoa.  
  
After me, Scott received the Brontosaurus Power Coin - his colour was blue, and his weapon was the Power Staff. Teresa was given the Velociraptor Power Coin - her colour was white, and her weapon was the Power Whip. Zordon gave Sarah the Rhamphorynchus Power Coin (which we were all confused about until Billy quietly explained that it was essentially a pterodactyl with a long tail). Her colour was purple, and her weapon was the Power Mace. Finally, Aaron became the Aqua Ranger, his Power Coin being modelled after the Parasaurolophus and his weapon a pair of laser blasters.  
  
Finally, we were shown how to use our morphers and given metal wrist bands that resembled watches.  
  
"They are your communicators, which will enable you to teleport to and from the Command Centre, as well as keep in touch with myself and your fellow Rangers," explained Zordon. "To become a Power Ranger, open your morpher and call out the name of your chosen dinosaur. They will never fail to respond."  
  
"Wow," mumbled Teresa. "This is just unreal."  
  
"Yeah," smiled Kim, "it was all totally too much for the five of us on our first day."  
  
Zac nodded. "Definitely. But hey, you'll get used to it in no time."  
  
"They'll have to," said Alpha urgently, as an alarm began to flash on the control panel beside him. "Monitar just reappeared at the school."  
  
"Rangers, the time is now," said Zordon. "You must morph and face the monster in combat. We will remain in contact with you at all times, and we'll do our best to guide you."  
  
Sarah looked up to Zordon. "But what if the monster does the same thing to us? What if we lose our powers too?"  
  
Billy stepped forward. "The evidence we've gathered suggests the diamond on Monitar's chest emits a wide-range energy beam designed to disable the link between the Morphin' Grid and those who draw power from it, namely, all of us. Avoid these beams and if entirely possible, destroy the diamond."  
  
"We can't promise anything, but we'll give it our best shot," I said. "C'mon guys, this is it." And we held out our morphers in front of us. I'm not sure why, but I looked over to Jason for guidance, and found him smiling and staring at me.  
  
"You're on your own now," he nodded. "Be careful, and good luck."  
  
"Well what are we waiting for?" asked Aaron with a grin.  
  
I nodded, and cried out the first phrase that came to mind. "It's morphin' time!"  
  
"Parasaurolophus!" said Aaron, and the Morphin' Grid immediately unleashed the power that had rested dormant for centuries, a storm of aqua light blasting free of Aaron's morpher.  
  
"Rhamphorynchus!" cried Sarah, and she was lost in a surge of purple light.  
  
"Brontosaurus!" shouted Scott, and pale blue light enveloped him.  
  
"Velociraptor!" said Teresa, as white light exploded free of her morpher.  
  
My turn. "Stegosaurus!" I cried. I was instantly lost in a blaze of white- hot power, lightning surging down my arms and roaring through my body. A sweeping flood of orange light washed over me, wrapping me in an orange and white suit as it passed and leaving a visored helmet around my head. I was now, officially, a Power Ranger. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**  
  
Immediately after morphing, we teleported back to the school, an experience I'm sure I won't get the hang of any time soon. In a flash of light the five of us materialised back on the oval, the other four Rangers spreading out behind me. Our uniforms were all similar barring our respective colours - we were all wearing white gloves and boots and a white belt, with a white diamond on our chest and a single blaster hanging by our side. Teresa's white suit, I noticed, was outlined in black stripes, giving it a more streamlined look. Our helmets were all modelled after the dinosaurs engraved on our Power Coins, our visors set in the beasts' open mouths.  
  
"Wow," said Scott. "So this is it? We're actually Power Rangers."  
  
Teresa nodded. "Yeah, but we've got more important things to worry about."  
  
"Like the monster we just lost," said Aaron, scanning the oval. "Where'd he go?"  
  
"Probably up towards the school," said Sarah.  
  
"C'mon, we gotta find him," I said. "Keep your eyes open." With that, we turned and ran back towards the school buildings, passing empty classrooms and silent gardens as we ran. The whole school was pretty much deserted, which meant that everybody was safe in the monster-shelters the school had recently built. I'm pretty sure none of us had much of a plan at that stage, and even if we did, certainly nothing more than hunting down this Monitar and punching him.  
  
A lot.  
  
We reached the smaller of the two paved assembly areas and turned down towards the school office.  
  
"Well look at this," came a slimy, sickly-sounding voice from behind us. We all turned to see Monitar standing behind us, and immediately raised our arms and formed a five-strong line of defense. "You're not the same Rangers I fought yesterday, are you? By any chance, are you looking for a fancy- dress party?"  
  
I stepped forward. "No. We're the Junior Team of Power Rangers."  
  
Sarah nodded. "Yeah, and by the time we're finished with you, you'll wish you were still facing the Senior Team."  
  
The monster stepped towards us. "And you probably really believe that, too," he snarled. "But I was designed to destroy Power Rangers. I accomplished what no other monster has ever done, and I did it with ease. You really don't stand a chance." The beast grinned a wicked smile and held out his arms wide - the diamond in the centre of his chest began to glow, and blue lightning bolts shot out in all directions, the entire area erupting in a storm of sparks and smoke.  
  
I dived to the ground beneath several bolts while Sarah somersaulted backwards behind a row of drinking taps. Scott followed Sarah, while Teresa nimbly spun to the side behind one of the metal support poles that held up the roof. Aaron glanced around quickly and saw a long wooden bench beside him. Knowing how heavy the benches were, he gripped it with both hands and picked it up, only to find it was as light as cardboard and he could lift it easily with one hand.  
  
"Super-strength," he said to himself with a tiny smile. "Awesome," and raising the bench above his head, he launched it at Monitar overarm with all the strength he could muster. The bench slammed into the beast and snapped in half from the sheer force of the throw, instantly sending the surprised monster flying backwards through the air.  
  
The stormed ended as Monitar crashed to the ground, and we all regrouped.  
  
"Whoa man," I said, "good move."  
  
Aaron nodded. "Thanks."  
  
Monitar slowly picked himself up out of the garden bed where he'd landed. "How _dare_ you?!" he cried, shaking with rage, his eyes flashing. "I will not let you spoil my triumph! Super putties, get them!" And suddenly, the five of us were surrounded on all sides as humanoid grey and black warriors materialised out of nowhere and charged towards us.  
  
I glanced around. "Let's take these freaks!" I cried. "Spread out!"  
  
Desperately recalling every karate lesson I'd ever had, I charged towards the nearest group of putties, who all attacked as I approached. I leaped up and over a low swipe, instantly taking an opponent down with a spinning high kick. Without slowing down, I dropped to the ground, spun to the left, blocked a high punch and slammed my fist into the putty's chest. Another putty to the right lunged at me - I struck his fist away, blocked his right, spun around and knocked him off his feet with a right backhand, before leaping into the air and taking three more opponents to the ground with a spinning barrel kick.  
  
I stopped to catch my breath, my heart racing, and gazed in disbelief at the carnage around me. Did I just do all that?  
  
Behind me, Teresa and Scott had been forced back-to-back, and were keeping a wide circle of opponents at bay. But as the putties steadily closed in, the Rangers went on the offensive - Teresa dropped one with a lightning judo chop, and struck a second back with a blow to the stomach. A third putty aimed a high punch, but Teresa caught his outstretched arm, dragged the putty forward and sent him crashing with a high kick. Even as Teresa turned to defeat her remaining adversaries, Scott was dropping two opponents with a spinning high kick, before taking two more down with a low foot sweep. Three more rushed towards him - Teresa automatically spun to Scott's side, and they floored two of the putties with simultaneous high- kicks. The third putty struck out at both of them, but Teresa blocked his attacks and Scott sent him to the ground with a low kick.  
  
"Whoa," breathed Scott. "That was so..."  
  
"...ordinary," nodded Teresa. "Like we've fighting this way..."  
  
"...all our lives," finished Scott. "Like we were born for it."  
  
Teresa turned as another troop of putties charged towards them. "Hold that thought for a second..."  
  
Across from them, Aaron was plowing through opponents, a trail of unconscious opponents behind him. He elbowed one in the ribs, spun around to slam his fist into another, before somersaulting over a low kick, lashing out on either side and downing two more as he landed. Four more rushed him - he blocked a high punch from one, struck away a low kick from another, and catching a grey first from the first, launched that opponent at the second, downing them both. The other two hung back briefly before swinging simultaneous high punches. Aaron blocked both, jumped sideways over a low sweep and batted away a chest-high lunge. They immediately moved to followed after him, but Aaron took one down with a high kick, before a powerful uppercut sent the other head-over-heels to the ground.

* * *

"Wow," said Jason, amazed. The Senior Rangers were watching the battle on the viewing screen, the monitoring-device set in the back of the Central Chamber. "They're incredible."  
  
"I believe that's why we chose them," nodded Zordon.  
  
"And given their success," added Billy, "we definitely made the right choice."  
  
"I know, but still..."  
  
"Weren't expecting them to do so well on their first day?" asked Kimberly, pausing as Teresa leaped into the air with a flying tornado kick that left the White Ranger without any opponents. "Don't worry, I was like thinking the exact same thing." And they all continued to watch in silent appreciation.

* * *

Sarah slammed her final adversary to the ground and quickly rejoined the team, as we launched an attack on the monster himself.  
  
Aaron attacked first, charging towards Monitar, jumping into the air and kicking forward, but the monster ducked under his boot and slashed at the Aqua Ranger with his claws. Aaron dodged the swipe and retaliated with a kick to Monitar's stomach - the beast batted away Aaron's boot and sent him crashing with a blast from its eyes. Aaron's suit erupted in sparks as he was thrown backwards, but as he rolled to a stop, he realised the suit had actually absorbed the effects of the blow. Quickly dusting himself, he climbed to his feet.  
  
Across the battlefield, Teresa had leaped forward to take up the attack, and was furiously trading blows with the monster. She blocked a high punch, batted away a low kick and aimed high, but Monitar ducked under Teresa's glove, kicked away a low jab and landed a blow the White Ranger's stomach. Teresa stumbled back but recovered quickly and swung a judo chop at Monitar's snout - the blow connected, jarring the monster and spinning him sideways, but when she followed after him with a high kick, Monitar caught her foot and spun her around him and before throwing her away.  
  
Scott and Sarah attacked with side-by-side high kicks, but Monitar effortlessly struck Scott away and blasted Sarah with a burst of energy. She dived under the blast, rolling to her feet and retaliating with a right backhand that sent the lizard stumbling. Scott returned to her side as Monitar regained his footing, and the two Rangers attacked again, Scott landing a blow to the beast's shoulder and Sarah sending him stumbling with a low kick. Monitar recovered quickly from the blows, and moving with such speed that he caught the Rangers off-guard, slashed at both of them with his claws, sending them back towards Aaron and Teresa in a blaze of fire and sparks.  
  
Monitar glanced around as the Rangers slowly picked themselves off the ground. "It's pretty obvious you're new at this," he growled, as the blue diamond on his chest began glowing. "Now hold still, and this won't hurt a bit. Sadly."  
  
Without warning, I grabbed the beast's shoulder, spun him around and smashed both fists against his head. He batted away my fists and slashed his claws at my chest - I caught his arm, blocked his left fist and aimed my strongest punch straight for his gut. The blow connected, and he laughed - he actually laughed - and pulling my fist away, knocked me back with a rapid high kick. I stumbled back towards the other Rangers, and we all retreated as Monitar steadily advanced.  
  
"What now?" asked Sarah. "That barely fazed him."  
  
I shrugged. "Anybody got any ideas?"

* * *

"C'mon guys," said Trini, watching the Junior Team back away. "Don't give up, you can do this!"  
  
Tommy turned back to Zordon. "No, they can't," he said. "We have to go help them."  
  
Zordon shook his head. "Impossible. Without your powers, Rangers, you'd fare no better."  
  
"Don't worry guys," said Jason. "They can do it, they just need their Power Weapons." And under his breath, whether realising it or not, he began chanting, "Power Weapons, Power Weapons..."

* * *

As if he was standing beside me, I realised what to do - we needed to use our weapons.  
  
"Guys," I said, as Monitar advanced. "We need our weapons."  
  
"Good idea," nodded Teresa. "How, though?"  
  
I shrugged. "Let me try something." And I held out my hand and raised my voice. "Power Sword!" I cried. Nothing happened. Damn.  
  
I shook my head, clearing my mind. Closing my eyes, I focussed on my Power Coin, and holding out my hand, I tried again.  
  
"Power Sword!" Whatever I did, it worked - a thin beam of orange light appeared between my fingers and rapidly became solid, and my fist closed around the hilt of my fully-formed Power Sword. The handle was black with orange stripes, while the blade's hand-guard was also black and featured curling orange designs on either side. Above the hilt was a circular design inscribed with the same Stegosaurus that was on my Power Coin, while the blade itself was long, razor-sharp and silver, glowing in the afternoon light. The sword was light and felt comfortable in my hand, like I'd been using it all my life.  
  
"Cool," I said with a grin.  
  
"I think I'll try that," said Scott. "Power Staff!" And with that, a long blue staff formed in the Blue Ranger's hands.  
  
"Power Whip!" cried Teresa, and the weapon's grip appeared in her hand with the whip trailing away behind her.  
  
"Power Mace!" said Sarah, and a purple mace materialised in her hands.  
  
"Power Blasters!" cried Aaron, and twin laser blasters appeared in his hands.  
  
"All right," said Scott, before turning to me. "Shall we?"  
  
I nodded. "We shall."  
  
Monitar sneered. "It'd take an entire armoury to stop me!"  
  
Aaron raised both blasters and held them at arm's length. "Thanks for the challenge," he said, and began firing. At such close range he couldn't have missed - blasts of aqua light smashed into the monster, the entire area erupting in sparks and fire. Monitar raised his arms to shield himself and staggered back through the cloud of smoke.  
  
I turned to the other Rangers. "Let's take this guy!"  
  
"Right!"  
  
Scott took to the air, somersaulting down in front of the monster and spinning his staff as he landed. Monitar immediately struck at the Blue Ranger with his right fist - using the staff, Scott blocked the move, batted away his left fist, landed a blow to Monitar's head and swung the staff back around into the monster's chest, spinning on the spot and slamming his boot into Monitar's gut. Before the beast had time to recover, Teresa leaped down beside her brother, cracking her whip across the monster's scaly hide. Monitar raised his hands to protect himself, but Teresa wrapped the whip around his wrist and dragged him forward, just as Scott leaped into the air and landed a powerful high kick, the blow sending the monster reeling.  
  
Teresa pulled the whip back as I stepped up beside her. "You know I've never held a whip before in my life," she said, "but I know exactly how to use this weapon."  
  
"I heard that," I nodded. Even as I turned to face the monster, I could feel the skills suddenly in my head, shaping my movements and telling my body how to fight. Raising my Power Sword, I leaped towards Monitar with a wild battle cry, slashing in a wide diagonal stroke as I landed. He dodged the slice, blocked another and ducked under a third. I swung again but he caught my wrist - I dragged him forward and landed a rapid high kick to his chest. Monitar stumbled back but I followed after him, slashing again and again. He blocked two swipes but I was moving too fast, and cleaved my blade down through his chest armour before a spinning roundhouse kick forced him to retreat.  
  
The monster hurriedly backed away from me but came under attack as Aaron and Sarah charged towards him. With a clear shot, Aaron fired, the barrage of blaster fire leaving the monster defenseless and giving Sarah the opportunity to attack, landing blow after blow with her Power Mace. Monitar tried to block the weapon but Sarah batted his arm aside, smashing the weapon into his stomach before knocking him sideways with a blow to the jaw. Dazed from the assault, Monitar staggered backwards, and without slowing down, Sarah spun around and slammed her mace with all her might into the diamond on the beast's chest.  
  
The jewel instantly shattered - there was an explosion of blue light as Monitar was thrown backwards through the air, before crashing to the ground in a crumpled heap and moving no further. A second of shocked silence followed.  
  
We'd done it. I don't know who was more shocked, him or us.  
  
But we'd done it.

* * *

"All right!" cried Trini, watching the battle. "They did it! They beat him!"  
  
"Awesome," said Jason with a grin.

* * *

"Everyone okay?" I asked, as we all regrouped.  
  
"We're all fine," said Teresa.  
  
"That was a damn good move," laughed Aaron.  
  
Sarah smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"We did it," said Scott simply. "We won."  
  
There was a sudden flash of flame behind us, and we turned to see an old woman standing beside the monster's body. In fact old was something of an understatement - she looked almost Mesozoic. She wore a long red and brown dress, complimented by a strangely-shaped armoured breast-plate. Numerous charms and jewels hung around her neck, her hair was styled up into two long horns, and she carried a thin staff that ended in a large red orb.  
  
"I wouldn't count on it," she said, turning to Scott.  
  
"Who are you?" I asked.  
  
"Rita Repulsa," she scowled, gazing at the five of us. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
Teresa stepped forward. "We're the Junior Team of Power Rangers."  
  
Anger flashed in Rita's dark eyes. "Zordon finally used those extra Power Coins, huh?"  
  
"You'd better believe it. Is that thing yours?" asked Sarah, pointing to Monitar.  
  
Rita ignored her, taking a step back and holding her wand high. "You may have fought well enough on the ground, but let's see you fight my way. Magic wand, make my monster grow!"  
  
Bolts of lightning immediately blasted out from the red orb, illuminating the area, dancing off the buildings and trees around us and striking the downed body of Monitar. There came a hissing sound and a great roaring, as if somebody had just split open the Earth itself, and Monitar's scaly body was suddenly replaced by a giant foot. We all realised what had happened - Monitar had grown. He was enormous, easily as tall as a fifteen story building, and he now stood with one foot on the oval and the other on the road, towering over us and raising his claws triumphantly.  
  
Rita grinned a cruel smile. "Have fun," she said, before melting into the air and leaving the five of us alone with the vengeful Monitar. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**  
  
"Zordon!" I cried, raising my communicator to my mouth, "Zordon, what do we do now? He's massive!"  
  
"Rangers," Zordon replied, "in situations like this, you have the ability to call on your zords, a fleet of colossal assault vehicles modelled after each of your dinosaurs. Your zords are for use when a battle grows beyond your control and an opponent becomes too powerful to defeat on the ground."  
  
"Okay," I nodded, searching for the right words and raising my right arm to the sky. "Okay, I call upon the power of the Stegosaurus dinozord!"  
  
Far out of town, in an out-of-the-way place that history had so far left alone, the ground began to tremble and violently shake. Within seconds, the Earth itself had split open, and the mighty Stegozord leaped forth with a roar. It was the first time sunlight had danced off the zord's armoured skin in thousands of years, and as it thundered towards us, it looked truly magnificent - a titan awoken from eternal slumber. The zord stood as tall as a five storey building, and was wider than a suburban street. Orange with black and silver armoured panels, the mechanised beast raced along the ground on two smaller front legs and two larger back legs. Along the zord's back were a dozen five-sided metal plates, and the end of its tail featured four silver spikes.  
  
"Wow," said Aaron, raising his own arm. "Parasaurolophus..."  
  
"And Brontosaurus dinozord power!" finished Scott. Behind the Stegozord, two more giant fighting machines rose from the depths of the Earth to greet the new age. The Parasaurolophus zord stood as tall as Monitar, with two short front limbs and two powerful hind legs. Aqua armour-plating covered the zord, with black and silver panels along either side. Charging towards the coast, the Parazord threw back its head and bellowed, the cry echoing across half the state.  
  
Beside it was the Brontosaurus - like the Stegozord, it moved along on four thick, sturdy legs, pounding across the terrain impossibly fast for something so utterly enormous. The zord's head peered down through green eyes from atop its long neck, and the zord's wide and heavy-set body ended in a long, tapering tail.  
  
"Velociraptor..." began Teresa.  
  
"And Rhamphorynchus dinozord power!" cried Sarah. Answering the call of their Rangers, the two final zords rose from their ancient hiding places. Nimble and graceful, the Velociraptor zord was white with black and silver stripes, and had a long tail and two wicked metal claws on its hind legs. It raced towards us with its head held low and golden eyes shining, darting around the obstacles that lay in its path. Behind it, the Rhamphorynchus zord shot straight up into the air, its purple body and long tail gleaming in the sunlight.  
  
"Let's go!" I cried, and we teleported into the rapidly-approaching zords, soon materialising in the cockpits. I landed in a comfortable grey chair that immediately pushed me forward to the controls. The wall behind me carried the same symbol as my Power Coin, while the control panel before me carried dozens of switches and flashing lights, as well as a single keyboard below the major viewscreen.  
  
"Rangers," Zordon's voice echoed down through the zords from hidden speakers. "I am sending your zords directly into Megazord sequence. Observe."  
  
There was an instant flash of light, and the Stegozord began to change. Both sets of legs folded up against the body and the zord came to a stop, folding forward until the whole zord was resting on its chin. The Brontozord drew side-by-side with my zord and began transforming in a similar manner, the zord's front legs locking together and remaining on the ground. Behind us, the Parazord leaped into the air, its legs folding back out of sight. The zord's arms and head dropped down into its body, and the zord descended down onto the Stegozord and Brontozord, giving the Megazord legs. The approaching Velociraptor split in half and provided each of the Megazord's arms, and finally, the Rhamphorynchus flew down and wrapped around the Megazord, providing a head and chestplate. We were all suddenly teleported into the control room - I guessed correctly that we were in the Megazord's head - with Scott on my right and Aaron on my left, while Sarah was behind Scott and Teresa sat behind Aaron.  
  
"Whoa," I murmured. The Megazord now stood in the field across the road from the school, and from our vantage point, we could see across the entire suburb of Currimundi. We were lucky, in a way - with the field, road, oval and then the beach, we had a perfect battleground.  
  
Looking down at the controls, everybody realised we had no idea what any of the controls did or how they affected the Megazord.  
  
"I don't suppose anybody's found the instruction manual?" asked Aaron.  
  
Glaring at the Megazord and tired of waiting, Monitar lowered his head and charged, shaking the ground with every titanic step. None of us moved, but the Megazord raised its fists and stepped forward to meet its opponent regardless.  
  
"They've still got us under remote control," said Sarah.  
  
I nodded. "Everybody sit tight and keep your eye on these controls."  
  
Reaching the Megazord, Monitar immediately lashed out with his claws. The Megazord blocked the attack and countered with a low punch to the beast's stomach, before smashing its left fist into the monster's jaw. Monitar stumbled backwards, crushing abandoned cars like aluminium cans and leaving huge footprints in the oval, and the Megazord quickly followed after him to continue the assault.  
  
Monitar soon recovered and leaped back at us, slashing across the chest- plate with his claws and leaving huge gashes in the Megazord's armour. He slashed again but the Megazord blocked one fist and stepped back around the other, throwing Monitar to the side. The monster spun back around and struck out with his claws, forcing us back before aiming a swipe at the Megazord's head. The Megazord's hand shot up and batted away the monster's fist, before slamming its left fist back into the monster's ribs. Sparks exploded from the blow, and as the monster stumbled backwards the Megazord swung again, slamming the monster to the ground with a right roundhouse punch.  
  
I glanced back to the others, and saw that everyone was keeping close watch on the controls in front of them. Every movement the Megazord made registered in the cockpit, and we were all slowly learning what all the controls before us actually did.  
  
"You guys okay?" I asked.  
  
"Awesome," nodded Scott.  
  
"I'll say," agreed Teresa. "I think I'm starting to get the idea of how everything works."  
  
"Same," I replied, as across from us, Monitar rolled to his feet. The monster's tenuous grip on its great triumph - taking down an entire team of Power Rangers - was slipping away, and Monitar wasn't giving that up without one _hell_ of a fight.  
  
"You'll pay for that!" he screamed angrily, his voice echoing over half the city. "I demolished one team of Rangers and I will leave you in ruins as well!" And he raised his claws and charged towards us.  
  
The Megazord stepped forward onto the oval, but as we approached, Monitar blasted us with a barrage of laser fire - sparks and smoke erupted from the zord's chest-plate, freezing the Megazord and giving Monitar enough time to grab hold of the zord's chest-plate and begin frying the zord with a massive electrical surge. The surge of power crackled through the mechanised warrior - explosions rocked the Megazord as alarms began to sound, and various systems within the Megazord began shutting down.  
  
Inside the control room, debris fell from the ceiling and explosions of sparks lit up the cockpit. I wondered why Zordon or Alpha couldn't just send the Megazord into reverse or something, then realised that they simply couldn't. Suddenly, the Megazord's left leg - the Stegozord - gave out, and the whole Megazord dropped sharply, throwing us all to one side.  
  
"What do we do?" asked Scott, glancing around desperately.  
  
I grit my teeth. "Kick his reptilian butt," I said, my confidence surprising even me. Glancing over the dials and switches before me, a large red button caught my attention. I didn't care what it did so long as it did something, and reaching over as another shower of sparks lit up the control room, I slammed my fist against it.  
  
A powerful blast of energy exploded from the zord's chest-plate, instantly breaking Monitar's grip and throwing him away in an blaze of sparks and fire. He stumbled back over the oval, regaining his footing on the swamp, but before he could attack I hit the button again - the monster was lifted clean off his feet, clearing the swamp and crashing to the ground on the beach, rolling to a stop amid a billowing cloud of sand.  
  
We were ready for it. I hit the switch marked 'radio' and spoke. "Zordon, can you give us manual control?"  
  
"Certainly," Zordon's voice boomed through the cabin. "Good luck Rangers."  
  
With that, Aaron and Scott grabbed the walking controls and the Megazord took its first shaky steps under our control. The Megazord's movements grew smoother as we steadily gained confidence, and we easily crossed the swamp and over to the beach. By now, Monitar had climbed to his feet and charged again, but as he approached to attack, the Megazord batted away his fists and struck him back with a powerful blow to his chest. The monster stumbled backwards and the Megazord followed after him, landing blow after blow with every step. A final roundhouse punch spun Monitar away from us, and he fell backwards to the beach where he hissed spitefully at us but made no move to attack again.  
  
Reading a line that appeared on the monitor in front of me, I raised my right arm skyward. "Let's finish this," I said. "We call on the Power Sword, now!"  
  
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, and a huge gleaming sword descended from a suddenly-cloudy sky, falling towards the Earth and embedding in the beach only a step away from the Megazord. The sword was massive - the shining blade was over a hundred feet in length, with a long grey hilt.  
  
"Wow," Teresa said, but couldn't help glancing up and wondering aloud, "but where do they keep it?"  
  
The Megazord stepped forward, and pulled the sword out of the ground. Holding it high, we advanced towards the monster.  
  
"Nice knowing you Monitar," I said, as the five of us raised our arms and then brought them down in a slashing motion. "Hi-YAH!"  
  
Lightning danced around us as the Megazord raised the sword high into the air. Its eyes flashed, and a huge surge of power struck the sword and travelled down the blade. Hesitating only a second longer, the Megazord slashed the weapon down through the air. The energy exploded from the sword's slice, scorching through the air and smashing into Monitar, instantly destroying the monster in a massive explosion that shook the city, rained debris down over the beach and sent a huge fireball roaring skyward.  
  
It took a few seconds for us to realise what had just happened, but once we did, we all found ourselves cheering and yelling.  
  
"Yes!" I cried. "We did it!"  
  
"We won!" shouted Aaron.  
  
And in the Command Centre far away, six voices instantly rose in jubilation.  
  
"I don't believe it," said Kim. "They... I just..."  
  
"They did it!" cried Jason. "They did it!"  
  
Zac grinned. "Way to go newbies."  
  
Only Zordon remained silent - anything else would've been too much.  
  
"Of course they did," he said, and then in spite of himself, he smiled.

* * *

After a few minutes, the five of us teleported back to the Command Centre, and the zords were all returned to their underground hiding places by Alpha. Celebrating a victory that none of us could believe had actually happened, we arrived back in the Central Chamber and demorphed. Although the other Senior Rangers were happy we'd won, Jason was ecstatic, jumping around and cheering.  
  
"You did it!" he cried, grinning widely and giving me a bone-crushing bear- hug. "That was legendary!"  
  
I smiled and laughed. "Thanks."  
  
"Many congratulations," smiled Billy. "That was indeed an extraordinary victory."  
  
"Yeah, you guys were terrific," said Zac. "When you smashed the diamond, and Aaron, when you brained him with the chair, that was awesome!"  
  
"And Teresa," added Kim, "that tornado kick of yours was unreal."  
  
Teresa nodded, still smiling. It seemed like everyone was smiling today.  
  
"Well done Rangers," said Zordon. Everyone turned and looked up at him. "You performed excellently."  
  
"I don't quite think it's sunk in yet," said Sarah.  
  
It was Zordon's turn to smile. "When it does, Billy is correct. Congratulations."  
  
Aaron held out his Power Coin and looked up to Zordon, a look of realisation dawning on his face. "But since we killed the monster and saved the day, I guess you're gonna want these back now, right?"  
  
Zordon paused for a second, while the rest of us held our breaths, and then smiled and shook his head. "Not quite yet," he replied. "You all fought admirably today, and I believe that expanding the team will only make the Power Rangers a stronger, more effective force. The coins are yours to keep.  
  
"Now, it will take time," he continued, his voice becoming serious, "for you to come to terms with your powers and responsibilities. But I promise you it will not always be so easy. The threats we face will only grow more potent, the traps will become harder, and I cannot promise every victory will be ours to celebrate. Knowing this, do you still wish to retain your duties as Power Rangers?"  
  
I turned to see the others all looking at me, I guess waiting to see my decision, but I was still thinking about what we'd done. We'd saved the world. We'd helped the Power Rangers. We'd _become_ Power Rangers. Maybe I was still running on adrenaline, but there was something here before me - the rest of my life, the future, destiny, whatever the heck _that_ was - and it was powerful. For maybe the first time in my life, I felt like I was where I should've been. And then when I looked up to Jason and saw him smiling, any doubts I had vanished, and I knew the answer.  
  
"Yes," I replied. "We're all part of something special, and I couldn't give that up if I wanted to. The world is different because of the Power Rangers. And so are we," and I placed my fist down in the centre of the group. Teresa's and Scott's hands joined mine almost immediately. Aaron's came down next, and Sarah's after that. Trini, Zac and Billy all placed their hands on top of ours too - Kim was next, followed quickly by Tommy. Finally, Jason's hand came down to cement the group, and while raising our hands we jumped into the air and shouted at the top of our lungs, "POWER RANGERS!"


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue**  
  
The final bell rang, the most celebrated sound of the school day, but we'd received an early mark and I'd already left the classroom, gotten my backpack and slung it over my shoulder when I saw Teresa and Aaron walking towards me.  
  
"Hey," Teresa smiled. "How are you?"  
  
I nodded. "Fine, I guess. Still trying to convince myself that today actually happened, and definitely still a little shocked."  
  
Aaron turned to me. "A _little_ shocked? Man, my heart almost stopped twice in science just thinking about it." By now, we'd wandered away from the classroom and down the small hill towards the carpark. Across from us, the school's groundsmen and gardeners were all busy tending to the giant footprints across the oval.  
  
"No, you know what, you're right," I said. "This is more than that. For the first time in my entire life, I'm somebody. Not just some dumb kid on the street, you know?"  
  
"Definitely," Aaron nodded.  
  
Teresa grinned. "But don't worry Pete, to us you'll always be the guy who wore Thomas the Tank Engine pyjamas until he was six." I laughed, and Teresa continued. "Anyway, we were going to ask whether you wanted to come with us over to the Youth Centre. Kimberly and Zac invited us there after school, I think for some training but also in case we needed to talk to anybody. Jason said he'd be there too."  
  
I nodded. "I'm there."  
  
Aaron smiled. "Who'd have thought our karate teacher and his friends would actually be the Power Rangers?"  
  
"I know," I said. "It's a strange world, and it just got a whole lot stranger." But while I was talking to Aaron, I wasn't paying attention where I was walking, and I bumped into Joshua sitting on the ground unlocking his bike from the bike racks.  
  
"Hey," he called angrily, "who the hell are you?"  
  
I kept walking until we were far enough away to answer truthfully. "Who am I?" I asked, turning to Aaron and Teresa. "I'm a Power Ranger, of course." I paused, and couldn't help but grin. "Now let's go save the world."  
  
**The End.**


End file.
